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Alan Rickman
'Alan Rickman '''was a British actor. His most renowned role is the suspicious Severus Snape in the ''Harry Potter ''films. History Early Life Rickman was born in Hammersmith, West London on 21 February 1946, to a working-class family, the son of Margaret Doreen Rose (née Bartlett) and Bernard William Rickman. Rickman's mother was a housewife and his father was a factory worker, house painter and decorator, and former World War II aircraft fitter. His ancestry was English, Irish and Welsh; his father was Catholic and his mother a Methodist. Rickman's family also included brothers David and Michael, and sister Sheila. When he was eight years old, Rickman's father died of lung cancer, leaving his mother to raise him and his three siblings mostly alone. According to Paton, the family was "rehoused by the council and moved to an Acton estate to the west of Wormwood Scrubs Prison, where his mother struggled to bring up four children on her own by working for the Post Office." She married again in 1960, but divorced Rickman's stepfather after three years. Before he met Rima Horton at age 19, he stated that his first crush was at 10 years old to a girl named Amanda "at sports day." As a child, he excelled at calligraphy and watercolour painting. Rickman attended Derwentwater Primary School in Acton, and then Latymer Upper School in London through the Direct Grant system, where he became involved in drama. After leaving Latymer, he attended Chelsea College of Art and Design and then the Royal College of Art. This education allowed him to work as a graphic designer for the Royal College of Art's in-house magazine, ''ARK and the Notting Hill Herald, which Rickman considered a more stable occupation than acting: "Drama school wasn't considered the sensible thing to do at 18". After graduation, Rickman and several friends opened a graphic design studio called Graphiti, but after three years of successful business, he decided that he was going to pursue acting professionally. He wrote to request an audition with the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), which he attended from 1972 until 1974. While there, he supported himself by working as a dresser for Sir Nigel Hawthorne and Sir Ralph Richardson. Career Personal Life In 1965, at age 19, Rickman met 18-year-old Rima Horton, who became his girlfriend and would later be a Labour Party councillor on the Kensington and Chelsea London Borough Council (1986–2006) and an economics lecturer at the nearby Kingston University. In 2015, Rickman confirmed that they had married in a private ceremony in New York City in 2012. They lived together from 1977 until Rickman's death. The two had no children. Rickman was an active patron of the research foundation Saving Faces; and honorary president of the International Performers' Aid Trust, a charity that works to fight poverty amongst performing artists all over the world. When discussing politics, Rickman said he "was born a card-carrying member of the Labour Party". Rickman was the godfather of fellow actor Tom Burke. Rickman's brother, Michael, is a District Councillor in Leicestershire. Death In August 2015, Rickman suffered a minor stroke, which led to the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. He concealed the fact that he had terminal cancer from all but his closest confidants. On 14 January 2016, Rickman died in London at age 69. His remains were cremated on February 3, 2016 in the West London Crematorium in Kensal Green. His ashes were given to his wife, Rima Horton. His final two films, Eye in the Sky and Alice Through the Looking Glass, were dedicated to his memory. Some time after his death, his fans made a memorial for him at the "Platform 9¾" sign in King's Cross Station in London. There have been numerous tributes from his co-stars, including Ralph Fiennes, Jason Isaacs, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Evanna Lynch, and Rupert Grint. Roles/Filmography Roles Filmography Category:People Category:Males Category:Actors Category:Humans Category:Deceased Category:2010s deaths Category:2016 deaths Category:Adults Category:1940s births Category:1946 births Category:British Category:British Actors Category:Voice Actors Category:British Voice Actors